Husking machine



May 14, 1957 E. L. LEE

HUSKING MACHINE.

Filed July 15, 1954 INVENTOR.

iii

This invention relates to husking machines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved husking machine wherein the husks are drawn downwardly between the rollers by a continuous suction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide in a corn husking machine improved heaters of greater grasping action.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide in a husking machine a bonderized spiral strip of rubber along one roller which is designed to accentuate the movement of the ears, shifting them along the roller.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a corn husking machine wherein the husks are drawn downwardly between the husking rolls by continuous suction devoid of any interruptions or stops.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a corn husking machine which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and efficient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a corn husking machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective View of a portion of the device and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the removable husking hooks forming a part of the invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, indicates generally a husking machine including a hollow cylindrical portion 11 formed along its underside with an outlet 12, the cylindrical portion 11 being provided with the end walls 13, substantially as illustrated.

A shaft 14 has the opposite ends thereof journalled in the end walls 13 and fixedly mounts a plurality of radially spaced vanes 15 provided at their outer longitudinal edges with the flanges 16, whereby to form a suction fan, the shaft 14 being suitably driven. Such means for driving the shaft 14 are well known to those skilled in the art and will not therefore be shown in detail.

The cylindrical portion 11 is open at the top and is integrally formed with the shelves 17 providing a relatively narrow slot 18 therebetween, the shelves 17 being respectively formed with the semi-cylindrical portions 19. The end walls 13 continue upwardly and provide end walls for the semi-cylindrical portions 19, a pair of parallel shafts 20 and 21 having opposite ends thereof journ-alled in these extensions.

Hollow rollers 22 and 23 are fixedly mounted on the shafts 20 and 21, respectively, within each of the semicylindrioal portions 19 and are adapted to draw the com States Patent 0 i 7 2,792,005 Patented May 14, 1957 husks downwardly therebetween. It will be noted that the shafts 20, 21 extend outwardly beyond the semicylindrical portions 19 at one end thereof, having keyed thereon the gears 24 and 25, respectively, the gears 24 and 25 being in mesh with each other whereby to draw the rollers 22 and 23 together as indicated by the arrows of Fig. 2.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that while only two rollers 22, 23 have been shown, any number may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

On the outer surface of the roller 23 a bonderized spiral strip of rubber 26 is secured (Fig. 1) and is designed to accentuate the movement of the ears of corn, shifting them along the roller.

The roller 22 is provided with the openings 27 while the roller 23 mounts a plurality of corresponding husking hooks. indicated generally at 28 (Fig. 5) and including a rectangular base portion 29 having countersunk openings 30 receiving therewithin screws by means of which the portions 29 will be secured in suitable openings provided in the roller 23. Each of the hooks also includes the hook portion 31 which, it will be noted, is adapted to fit within one of the openings 27 when the rolls come together, as shown in Fig. 2.

An U-shaped conduit 32 connects the semicylindrical portion 19 rotatably mounting the roller 22 with the interior of the cylindrical portion 11. The end of the roller 22 (Fig. 4) is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite openings 33 which are adapted to be intermittently aligned with the upper end of the conduit 32 to intermittently provide suction at the openings 27, as will be obvious. This suction in the openings 27 will firmly grip the ear of corn momentarily more firmly while the hooks 31 of the opposite roller are tearing into the husks. It will be noted that the husking hooks 28 are removable, permitting the interchanging of various pitches and widths of husking hooks.

Beaters are provided and include the parallel longitudinal shafts 3 rotatably mounted above the device at opposite ends in the bearings 35, each of the shafts 34 fixedly mounting the fiat straps 36 in the usual manner of such constructions. The shafts 34 are rotated in opposite directions by suitable driving means, not shown, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

In the further practice of my invention, strips of rough rubber 37 are bonderized to the ends of the straps 36, increasing the rasping action while beating.

During rotation of shaft 14, the vanes 15 will create a downward suction within the cylindrical member 11, drawing the husks downwardly through the slot 18 and depositing them into the outlet 12. This suction is continuous and serves to draw an and the separated husks downwardly between the rolls 22, 23 and bringing the latter into better contact with the rolls, permitting the rolls to grab the husks and to separate them from the ears more efficiently. Thus, the corn husks are sucked downwardly into more intimate contact with the rolls eliminating the conventional blowers. The suction will, of course, be felt through the openings 27 when the openings 33 are aligned with the conduit 32, firmly holding the ears momentarily while the hooks 31 of the opposite roller tear into the husks. The spiral strip 26 will accentuate the movement of the ears, shifting them along the roller. The rough rubber strips 37 will increase the beating efliciency by permitting a more rasping action.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A corn husking machine comprising a hollow, substantially cylindrical :casing having an elongated outlet at the bottom thereof of less diameter than said casing, a narrow elongated inlet at the upper end of said casing, a pair of complementary hollow, substantially semi-cylindrical secondary casings at the upper end of said first casing, a first shaft having the ends thereof journalled concentrically in the ends of said first casing, means for rotating said first shaft, a plurality of radially spaced, longitudinally extending vanes secured to said shaft within said first casing, each of said vanes along the outer longitudinal edges thereof having a flange adapted to rotate in freely spaced relationship to said first casing, a hollow, substantially cylindrical drum having the ends thereof rotatably mounted in the ends of one of said secondary casings, said drum having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings therethrough the ends of said drum having openings therethrough atone end, a conduit connecting said one .end of said semi-cylindrical secondary casing with said first casing, said end openings in said drum being adapted to be aligned intermittently with the upper end of said conduit whereby to draw the corn ears temporarily against said longitudinally spaced openings, a

second cylindrical drum having the ends thereof rotatably mounted in the ends of the other of said secondary casing, said first and second drums being adapted to rotate against each other, means for driving said drums against each other, a substantially spiral resilient strip secured to the outside of said second drum whereby to accentuate the movement of the ears and to shift them along said drums, husking hooks secured to said second drum and being adapted to be received within one of said first drum openings, a pair of parallel shafts above said first and second drums, means for rotating said shafts towards each other, a plurality of longitudinally spaced straps secured to and extending laterally from said shafts, and rough, resilient strips secured to the free ends of said straps whereby to increase the rasping action as the husks are beaten.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,666,796 Shuler Apr. 17, 1928 1,898,757 Bockmann Feb. 21, 1933 2,217,945 Digre Oct. 15, 1940 2,239,899 Nightenhelser et al. Apr. 29, 1941 

